


Shoot McMahon

by sadwomananonymous



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Character Study, Chimera Ant Arc, Emotional, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadwomananonymous/pseuds/sadwomananonymous
Summary: A small character study of Shoot, through everyone's eyes.
Relationships: Shoot McMahon/Reader
Kudos: 13





	Shoot McMahon

You remember the first time you met Palm. You would be lying if you said she _didn't_ scare you, but you still spoke to her like anyone new you met, kindly and politely. One of the first things out of her mouth to you were about the men sitting near you. 

"I don't understand how you're friends with them."

You look at her, confused. "W-What do you mean? I like them a lot!"

" _Seriously? Those two?_ They're nothing but rude, loud mouthed delinquents!"

You take a look over at said men, who are acting the complete opposite. Knuckle fits the image of a delinquent, but at the moment, he was laughing over the small puppy in his arms. Shoot was smiling at how happy he was over his newfound pet, giving it a few gentle pats with a free hand. You couldn't understand Palm's personal view of them. They were never rude to you, especially Shoot. Both of them had always been nothing but kind and polite toward you. Knuckle was just more talkative _and more loud_ than Shoot was, even more toward you. All you do is shrug slightly in reply.

\--

"_____, are you feelin' alright?"

"What do you mean, Knuckle?" 

"Well...you're blushing."

Your eyes widen, immediately placing a hand to your cheek in worry. " _I am?_ "

"You had been since you spoke to Shoot after dinner," Knuckle stated. And you flinched. He smiles to himself as he watches you grow so shy beside him.

_Caught you!_

Knuckle had gotten the chance to hang out and speak with you one-on-one away from the group, and it was nice. Though you did seem a little distracted, looking at something close by. He knew you kept glancing over to where Shoot was, eyeing the tall man speaking to his teacher. They were caught up in information on their next big mission for work. Knuckle _should_ be in on it, but...he wanted to speak to his new friend. 

"You like Shoot, don't you?" he teased, much to your embarrassment. He laughs wholeheartedly as you cover your face with both of your hands and turn away from him. 

Knuckle already knew you liked Shoot. He didn't even need to ask. He noticed it after both men met you in town. After hanging out a few times together, grabbing food, and taking walks through Dali, you had grown to speak to Shoot more often. Trying to get to know him better. What surprises him was how even Shoot spoke up more, carrying on conversations with you, even though he was naturally shy and anxious. But so were you, he realized. You both just clicked.

He noticed with heavy curiosity how you and Shoot would look at each other and talk to one another while you were together. You gave him _a certain look_ , and Shoot returned it. Knuckle would watch his good friends catch glances over at the other while one was looking or walking away for a moment, and he realized what was happening. He would overhear how you both spoke, warm and with enthusiasm of the other, nothing but smiles and giggles. Like mutually pinning fools. Knuckle knew you both liked each other. You were both just too afraid to admit your feelings.

The two of you did those same things tonight during dinner, and when Shoot would look down at you from his side, you practically melted in your chair from how bashful you were, Knuckle imagined.

"I...I do. I like Shoot," you shyly admit to him out loud. 

"I know," Knuckle warmly laughs, smiling softly down at you. He ends up looking over at Shoot when he hums a laugh. "Shoot...is a nice guy. Just very quiet. Reserved." He ends up pausing as he thinks to himself. "...Maybe being with you is helping him come out more freely."

You quickly look up at him with your flushed face, ending up smiling happily. "He sounds like me... I think he does that for me. Helps me. I'm not usually someone who's comfortably outgoing or anything."

Knuckle can't help to grin at that. You two were a great pair. 

"...Knuckle?"

"Yeah?"

" _Please...don't say anything_ to Shoot," you ask him, anxious. 

"I promise. You have my word."

Well... _he's about to soon if Shoot won't tell you himself!_ Knuckle has to keep himself from spilling Shoot's big crush on you, which is killing him on the inside. He thanks his self-control for that.

\--

While you were out with all of the boys one afternoon, you sit away from them on a bench by yourself. You needed some alone time for just a moment, overcome with a sad, heavy feeling so suddenly. Your chest ached a bit when you watched them all talk contently together nearby. In the moment, you stare down at your lap, fidgeting with the small toy robot from your bag, you hear faint footsteps, but didn't realize someone was coming toward you. 

"Are you okay, Ms. _____?" You jump faintly, looking up to see Gon right in front of you. "Why are you sitting by yourself?" 

He was the last person you wanted to see while you were caught up in your depressed mood. The boy takes a seat right beside you anyway as you try to take deep, even breaths. 

"I'm...not doing well, honestly." There was no point in lying, like you always did, trying to be positive and telling others not to worry about you. "But I'll be okay," you added to try and assure him. 

"What's wrong?" Gon seemed genuinely concerned about you, which made you even more emotional in the moment. 

It takes you a while to comfortably speak. He just sits patiently and waits for you to.

"...I'm just...having a hard time right now. I've been fighting with myself a lot lately, even with getting dressed to go out today!" You exhale as you motion to your outfit. "But...I've been feeling scared and anxious over something, worrying too much about it and doubting myself on things. I -- I just... _I don't know what to do._ I'm not confident like I thought I was..."

Sadly, it was all true, though you were leaving _one little detail_ out to not expose your secret. You were just such a sad, anxious mess about everything that you felt your eyes threaten to finally water. Until Gon spoke up and stopped any tears from coming. 

"I'm not sure what has been making you so sad or worried, but... There's no need to worry yourself sick over it. Everything will work out, I'm sure of it!" When you turn to look over at him, he's wearing such a heartfelt smile. It leaves you quiet. "You just have to believe in yourself more! You're stronger than you think."

Yet you hang your head sadly. You're unsure of his words, hard to believe, about to go against them out loud until he stops your doubts with a pinky raised in the small space between you both. 

He wants to make a promise.

You stare at him, hesitant, but slowly wrap your pinky around his own. You hold his softly as he starts to swing your hands up and down, making you do the same. 

"I promise that everything will work itself out! If not, you still have friends to help you! But if we don't believe in one another, we'll swallow a thousand needles together! Pinky promise~!"

You couldn't help to giggle at his little song he made up on the spot. But he tells you sincerely that, "If I'm around, you can always talk to me if you need a friend to be with. I do think everything will work out!" Even with something so small, you grew more emotional, tears threatening to fall from you. Gon was very sweet.

"Thank you, Gon..." Finally, he sees you smile again.

Gon then goes on to explain how where he is from, he "seals the promise with a kiss", he told you. So of course, you have to do the action with him, pressing your thumb against his softly. You giggle even louder when you both make the noise of said action together. 

"What are you two doing?" Killua asks from the group nearby, an eyebrow raised. 

The boy looks over blankly at his best friend, hand still to your own. "Making a promise to _____ to cheer her up!"

Gon did cheer you up a little bit.

\--

It had been such an adventure, in only a few months.

You sat in the chair close by Shoot's bed as he was still resting, dozing off heavily from the medicine the nurses had him taking. It was so difficult to see him like this, a cast around his still partially broken leg, skin littered in scars and bruises, physically exhausted from the mission they just finished with. It left your heart aching. Your thoughts ran a hundred miles an hour. Shoot was unbelievably lucky. You could not even imagine what all he went through. He was so strong. _He could have --_

"Shoot looks rough...but he was tough through it all."

When you turn to the chimera ant beside you, he smiles lightly. 

"He did a good job," Meleoron tells you.

A smile spreads on your face slowly.

" _Everyone_ did a good job!" Ikalgo loudly states. 

Meeting those two was a fun experience, getting to know who they truly were after sitting with them the day you came by with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Shoot. They were quick to ask you how you knew Shoot and Knuckle, and at first, they were taken back by your answer. 

_Shoot has a girlfriend???_

They were honestly surprised.

Sometime after spending most of your evening there with Shoot, during the first day Knuckle picked you up from the train station, your friend steals you away from your significant other. Just for a moment.

Knuckle explained how Morel wanted to see you, upon hearing the news that you came back into town. Whenever he sees you, he does not hesitate to give you one powerful, gripping hug that leaves you breathless. He was happy to see you, that you were still well. 

Morel appeared more like a fatherly figure towards you, rather than just an older friend you knew, speaking casually about what all had been going on. Though he doesn't bring up anything about the ants nor the mission, since he didn't want to bother you with details. Maybe one day he would. Now is not the time.

There was a long stretch of time where you just sat in silence. You were still so emotional, eyes still watery and full of tears at the reunions. Being able to finally come back to your home, and finally able to be with your friends and loved ones, even making new friends... It left you with a huge sense of relief. You missed them all so much. You missed Shoot more than ever. 

Morel sighs softly when he says, "I know how hard it must be for you." 

You give him a small nod, not knowing what to say. 

"...You sure do love him, don't you?"

You look up at him with leftover tears in your eyes, staining your cheeks.

"...I _do. I love him so much._ " With emotional mumbles, you tell him how much you love him. How much he means to you. How you were so worried, and how happy you are to see him alive. 

The man ends up grinning warmly, like a proud father.

" _He is so lucky to have a woman like you._ "

Tears pour down your face at his words, more so when he tells you how Shoot constantly had you in his thoughts during the mission. How he worried himself almost sick, wondering constantly if you were safe. How he would glance at his phone rather longingly, wanting to make a phone call or a text that he really wanted to make, but he refused to ever make them. Even the first few weeks of being in the hospital, he asked Knuckle to call you right away and make sure that you were alright. Though he didn't get a confirmation until Knuckle literally surprised him with you.

Morel knew your tears weren't sad. They were happy, of sweet relief even. You had been through a lot, and now that everything was said and done, you needed time to be emotional. He offers you soothing pats to the top of your head in the meantime.

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea for a while, wanting to write about how Knuckle and the others thought and spoke about Shoot. This was fun to write! ❤ I can only hope to have kept everyone in character. I did get...very emotional writing this though.
> 
> And...if you would like, please come talk to me at joyandeggs on tumblr, and thelegendofjoy on twitter. I'm more active there. ❤ (I've been meaning to tell you all this, I'm just too shy to admit this is my ao3!!)


End file.
